best way to get from London to Ireland (Donegal) without flying

donegaLroad · 28-12-2014 12:33am #1

There are 3 ways I can think of... without the usual AH malarkey..

Train from London Northbound, change at Chester, take train to Holyhead, ferry to Dublin, bus to Donegal.

Train from London to Liverpool, ferry from Liverpool to Dublin, bus to Donegal.

Train from London to Dumfries, train from Dumfries to Stranraer, ferry to Belfast, train to Derry, bus to Donegal.

thanks in advance for any sensible suggestions..

AgileMyth · 28-12-2014 12:34am

You would appear to have comprehensively answered your own question.

cloud493 · 28-12-2014 12:36am

Jump in the sea, Good ole swim will work up your appetite.

AgileMyth · 28-12-2014 12:37am

Unless you plan to stay in donegal. In which case buy a car. Preferably a golf gti or you won't fit in.

Don't worry about importing it or paying vrt. Nobody else does up there.

cloud493 · 28-12-2014 12:40am

OP would you have any objections to spending a few nights in the back of a freight lorry?

Karl Stein · 28-12-2014 12:41am

Teleportation but be careful not to have a fly in the mix or your wife could be running around trying to hide the jam and it'd be like that film 'Out of Africa'.

roadsmart · 28-12-2014 12:41am

Ferry from Liverpool to dublin is about 8 hours, as opposed to Holyhead swift (90 minutes) or ferry (3.5 hours). Why in the name of Gawwwwwd would you put yourself through an 8 hour winter ferry journey?

punisher5112 · 28-12-2014 12:42am

Build a raft and sail there or do what they did on top gear and make a pick up into a boat and put a huge oversized engine on the rear.

Thumb a lift all the way for the craic.

Do what they do to get into the country and hide in the trailer of trucks seems to work well with the amount of illegals here.

Cycle and do for charity.

Get a box and get someone to post you.(courier)

Tonyandthewhale · 28-12-2014 12:43am

Megabus/bus eireann from London to Dublin (via ferry at Hollyhead). Crawl on your belly the rest of the way like a lowly worm.

lycan238 · 28-12-2014 12:46am

Hi bus from London (Victoria Station) to Busaras in Dublin timetable 871
Busaras to Donegal via timetable 30.

Times and schedule available on buseireann website

eeepaulo · 28-12-2014 12:47am

https://eurolines.buseireann.ie

They go from Victoria coach station to abbey hotel donegal

PhilBill · 28-12-2014 12:49am

Swim

Banjoxed · 28-12-2014 12:49am

Going to North Donegal (Inishowen and Letterkenny)?

London Euston to Derry via train and boat to Dublin from Holyhead.

Travel first class on the train to Holyhead, club class on the Holyhead - Dublin boat and first class to Belfast on the Enterprise. The trains to Derry are Standard only but don't suck.

Eat and drink your fill on the trains and boat.

Seat61.com will give you the full details of how to do it.

Then taxi home!

donegaLroad · 28-12-2014 12:51am

Tonyandthewhale wrote: »

Megabus/bus eireann from London to Dublin (via ferry at Hollyhead). Crawl on your belly the rest of the way like a lowly worm.

I looked into this and it seems to be the most sensible way, approx 12 hours from Lon to Dub.

Its not for me btw, its for relations travelling trans Atlantic on a cruise which docks at Harwick port near Colchester, NE of London. They were asking about alternatives to flying to Ireland.

I think they are much better off taking the train to Stansted and flying to Derry.

Cantremember · 28-12-2014 12:52am

Post in AH and request without the usual AH "mullarkey". Who's he?

Spanish Eyes · 28-12-2014 12:53am

Quicker to get to New York by the looks of it!

But not if you go by sea. Of Course.

donegaLroad · 28-12-2014 12:53am

Banjoxed wrote: »

Going to North Donegal (Inishowen and Letterkenny)?

London Euston to Derry via train and boat to Dublin from Holyhead.

Travel first class on the train to Holyhead, club class on the Holyhead - Dublin boat and first class to Belfast on the Enterprise. The trains to Derry are Standard only but don't suck.

Eat and drink your fill on the trains and boat.

Seat61.com will give you the full details of how to do it.

Then taxi home!

this will probably do the trick, many thanks..

Donkey Oaty · 28-12-2014 12:53am

There's also a Liverpool (Birkenhead) ferry to Belfast which takes 8 hours.

Banjoxed · 28-12-2014 12:59am

In fact, here's a link to Seat61 giving full details about how to get to the North from London by rail and boat. It's a thing.

http://seat61.com/NorthernIreland.htm#.VJ9VdAA4JQ

donegaLroad · 28-12-2014 1:03am

Banjoxed wrote: »

In fact, here's a link to Seat61 giving full details about how to get to the North from London by rail and boat. It's a thing.

http://seat61.com/NorthernIreland.htm#.VJ9VdAA4JQ

this is great, never new it existed.. they should advertise this more, thanks again

cloud493 · 28-12-2014 1:07am

Donkey Oaty wrote: »

There's also a Liverpool (Birkenhead) ferry to Belfast which takes 8 hours.

But then he'd have to go to birkenhead :eek:

braddun · 28-12-2014 1:07am

steal a local donkey, find fishing boat, smuggle yourself aboard and the donkey,when boat docks
jump up and ride donkey home,

if you cant find a donkey find an ass

Donkey Oaty · 28-12-2014 1:12am

cloud493 wrote: »

But then he'd have to go to birkenhead :eek:

Fact of the day about Birkenhead from Wiki:

Elvis lived there briefly

Sadly it's Elvis Costello they mean.

cloud493 · 28-12-2014 1:14am

Donkey Oaty wrote: »

Fact of the day about Birkenhead from Wiki:

Sadly it's Elvis Costello they mean.

I was born and raised there, its terrible. Avoid it OP. Swim under it if needs be.

petrolcan · 28-12-2014 1:15am

Used to do it with bus & ferry some twenty years ago for about £20

Donkey Oaty · 28-12-2014 1:16am

cloud493 wrote: »

I was born and raised there, its terrible. Avoid it OP. Swim under it if needs be.

You are Paul O'Grady and I claim my ten pounds finder's fee.

petrolcan · 28-12-2014 1:23am

cloud493 wrote: »

I was born and raised there, its terrible. Avoid it OP. Swim under it if needs be.

Pizza Hut seemed grand.

Highflyer13 · 28-12-2014 1:40am

The less time you spend in Holyhead the better OP.

http://touch.boards.ie/thread/2057343174/1

diomed · 28-12-2014 2:10am

Why would you want to go to Donegal?

Mickey H · 28-12-2014 2:27am

Cantremember wrote: »

Post in AH and request without the usual AH "mullarkey". Who's he?

He's new.

The Backwards Man · 28-12-2014 2:53am

Depends what part you're for. West or South go Holyhead-Dublin, North or God's country go over the top.

lulu1 · 29-12-2014 9:50pm

AgileMyth wrote: »

Unless you plan to stay in donegal. In which case buy a car. Preferably a golf gti or you won't fit in.

Don't worry about importing it or paying vrt. Nobody else does up there.

Who rattled your cage????????

Archeron · 29-12-2014 9:53pm

By camel, tis the season after all. Just make sure to bring a Frankenstein film, a box of Terry's all gold and a blur CD.

Tearin It Up · 29-12-2014 9:57pm

Why in the holy name of God would anyone want to torture themselves with that amount of travel?

The UK, ferry, then get to Belfast or Dublin. Followed by how many more hours on a bus to Donegal.

Sh1tbag OToole · 29-12-2014 10:54pm

There are other ferries that the OP left out

Fishguard to Rosslare, train all the way up to Derry, or take the bus to Limerick and then up to Donegal

Heysham to Warrenpoint, not sure if they take foot passengers

Campbelltown to Ballycastle (if you have a good way of getting to Campbeltown that I don't know about)

Mint Sauce · 29-12-2014 10:58pm

Banjoxed wrote: »

Going to North Donegal (Inishowen and Letterkenny)?

London Euston to Derry via train and boat to Dublin from Holyhead.

Travel first class on the train to Holyhead, club class on the Holyhead - Dublin boat and first class to Belfast on the Enterprise. The trains to Derry are Standard only but don't suck.

Eat and drink your fill on the trains and boat.

Seat61.com will give you the full details of how to do it.

Then taxi home!

How classy will the bus connection be from Dublin Port to Connolly? Plus, Irish Trains dont do a connecting service with the ferry, unlike at Holyhead.

Mint Sauce · 29-12-2014 11:00pm

Sh1tbag OToole wrote: »

There are other ferries that the OP left out

Fishguard to Rosslare, train all the way up to Derry, or take the bus to Limerick and then up to Donegal

Heysham to Warrenpoint, not sure if they take foot passengers

Campbelltown to Ballycastle (if you have a good way of getting to Campbeltown that I don't know about)

So change in limerick, and possibly in Galway, and Sligo as well?

Tail Docker · 29-12-2014 11:03pm

Easy peasy - Just take the North Essendon Ferry direct to Gweedore. It's only a five hour journey.*

*may be fictional..

This Fat Girl Runs · 29-12-2014 11:08pm

This summer I took the train/ferry from London to Belfast. It was a long day of travel but also really fun and it was lovely to see so much of the UK, when I'd previously only ever been in London. It was 12 hours from start to finish. We spent one night in Belfast then back home to Dublin by bus.

Sh1tbag OToole · 29-12-2014 11:12pm

Mint Sauce wrote: »

So change in limerick, and possibly in Galway, and Sligo as well?

No need to change in sligo.

Hmm I wonder is that way actually still possible.

Mint Sauce · 29-12-2014 11:34pm

Sh1tbag OToole wrote: »

No need to change in sligo.

Hmm I wonder is that way actually still possible.

Well its atleast a 10-15 minute break.

Sh1tbag OToole · 30-12-2014 12:33am

Mint Sauce wrote: »

Well its atleast a 10-15 minute break.

Enough for you to get a bag of taytos

BMJD · 30-12-2014 12:38am

So what are you smuggling, op?

Donkey Oaty · 30-12-2014 12:43am

One thing we've all overlooked: there are occasional cruises that have UK ports and Killybegs on their itinerary.

Great for people who have huge amounts of money and time, hate planes/trains/buses/cars and don't mind spending just a day in Donegal.

The Moldy Gowl · 30-12-2014 12:45am

Why can't they just fly to knock or Dublin and get the bus or train? Would cost less??

KungPao · 30-12-2014 12:48am

Did I miss something? Why wont/cant he fly?

dd972 · 30-12-2014 12:58am

Train from Euston to Glasgow as a back up plan,( half of Glasgow's from Donegal )

Tail Docker · 30-12-2014 1:50am

dd972 wrote: »

Train from Euston to Glasgow as a back up plan,( half of Glasgow's from Donegal )

Yeah, but Glasgow has Ebola..

Egginacup · 30-12-2014 2:29am

donegaLroad wrote: »

There are 3 ways I can think of... without the usual AH malarkey..

Train from London Northbound, change at Chester, take train to Holyhead, ferry to Dublin, bus to Donegal.

Train from London to Liverpool, ferry from Liverpool to Dublin, bus to Donegal.

Train from London to Dumfries, train from Dumfries to Stranraer, ferry to Belfast, train to Derry, bus to Donegal.

thanks in advance for any sensible suggestions..

Have the entire county of Donegal come to YOU

Avada · 30-12-2014 2:32am

Portkey

Xenophile · 30-12-2014 10:17am

A pleasant variation when you have no time restraints and want to see different and beautiful parts of Ireland

Take train to Fishgaurd
Boat to Rosslare
Bus to Waterford
Train or bus from Waterford to Galway
Bus from Galway to Donegal

best way to get from London to Ireland (Donegal) without flying

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